


Fixing the obvious

by Hobbesss



Category: Sam & Max
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-20
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2020-03-08 19:48:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18901453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hobbesss/pseuds/Hobbesss
Summary: Sam has finally figured out his feelings for Max! As luck would have it Max feels the same way. The only problem is Sam quickly finds out that dating his best friend is not nearly as easy as it sounded in his head.A sequel to Ignoring the obvious, This is the second and last part of this little duo series.





	1. Couples  Quarrel

Sybil sat at her desk and stared at the new couple in front of her. She knew how to fix relationships, hell she was dating a man made entirely out of stone so she thought she knew what she was doing, but even she knew that this would be a pretty difficult one to save even for someone like her.

In front of her was a couch and on that couch two people were seated.

To her left she saw a small rabbit, arms crossed with a scowl on his face. His name was Max, and he was looking down at the ground while occasionally looking up back at her. She could hear him mumbling curses and insults and sometimes he would just hop a little when he thought of a good insult. It was kinda cute but now was no time to bring that up. He was growing impatient. She could see his foot tap up and down.

“How does He get that rabbit to stay still at all?” Sybil thought.

To her right she saw a large, chubby, 6 foot dog. His Name was Sam, and compared to the rabbit he was moving as much as a statue. He was trying his best to not give his partner any attention whatsoever and he kept a steady deadpan stare at her the whole time. It kinda creeped her out but she didn't wanna hound on him for it. He seemed like he had enough on his plate. Sometimes he would reach for his gun but then mumble something about waiting a little longer and putting his hand back on his lap.

It was a cool quiet night in New York and on most nights Sybil would be home with her husband and kid. The clock was about to hit 12:00 am. They had been at this for about a hour. Well The two of em had been arguing for a whole hour. She had started off writing stuff down on a clipboard but just began to sit back and listen to them argue and wait for a moment to interject. Said moment never really came however. The two of them just kept going and going.

“All IM saying is you could at least KISS me once?! Just once! How long has it been since we’ve been...well...us! Is it really that big a deal?!” The rabbit screamed.

Sam, snapped his neck down to Max, finally breaking the stare.

“MOST couples don't start off from cuddling to declaring how in love they are in public while trying to make out Max! We’ve gotten kicked out of quite a few places just because of you!”

Max finally turned to Sam Having to stand to be at eye level.

“You know as well as i do that you’re exaggerating! I’ve let out small mentions about you being my boyfriend in front of people and thats all you fat as-

Max couldn't finish his sentence as Sam had pulled out his gun and placed it in his mouth.

“Say it again”  
Max pulled out his gun just as quickly and pressed it against Sam’s eye.

“You think i won't?!” Max tried to say but couldn't really say because his mouth was full of gun.

“ALRIGHT THAT'S ENOUGH FROM BOTH OF YOU!” Sybil interrupted.

Sam and Max both instantly drew back their guns and flinched a bit. Sybil screaming was usually a sign she had lost her patience with the two. A impressive feat.

Sybil sighed and put her hand on her forehead for a second before looking at her watch and then back at Sam and Max. She loved them both and would do anything to help them but she was hitting her limit here.

“Both of you! Guns in this box now! I will NOT be helping with hiding a body tonight after all of this!”

Max gives Sam one more look before reluctantly giving his gun to sybil. He starts to shudder, muttering about feeling naked.

Sam had went a bit red in the face and handed the gun before fixing his posture and sitting up a little more as if to apologize for his earlier behavior. 

Sybil took both the guns and for once there was...silence. It was nice, peaceful even. She almost didn't want to break it and just quietly motion them out, but she had got this far in, she can't leave now.

“Sam...Max….im glad you came to me to talk about this but you guys have been arguing for about a hour and a half now.”

Sam rubbed the back of his head nervously while max just grunted.

 

“Sam. You two have barely said anything for the past hour. I know i called you two because i needed someone to help practice my new relationship counsel job with but this is ridiculous.”

Sam looked at the ground looking slightly guilty while Max’s face softened a little.

Sybil sighed. “Don't act like that. Im not that mad at you. But let's try to be adults here alright?”

She took of notice of How Sam was still in a Full….suit.

“Sam? You’re in a full suit. Maybe taking off some of it will calm you down?”

Sam looked back up at Sybil obviously uncomfortable with the idea and simply took off his hat.  
Sybil looked a bit confused and looked at Max for some kind of answer, but he only rolled his eyes and shrugged.

“Progress is progress i guess…” Sybil thought.

“So from what little you HAVE told me. You two are in a relationship now and aren't happy with each other?

Still silent, they both nodded. Sybil couldn't help but chuckle. The last time She saw Sam he had loudly declared how he wasn't in love with Max at all. Now he hates him all of the sudden.

“Well i can't tell you much off only that…”

“Sam. Why don't we try and start from the beginning? Tell me how you both decided to go here in the first place.” Sybil suggested.

“Tch, We’ll be here all night with you trying to get anything outta him.” Max grumbled.

Sybil glared at Max. “Max no quips from you okay? Sam please. Do you think you can do it?”

Sam looked at Max and then back at Sybil. The past few days had been a whirl. From figuring out he liked his best friend to now hating him. He wanted things to go back to normal.

“If the furball there is gonna keep quiet then….”

Sam took a deep breath then looked right at Sybil.

Sybil took out her clipboard and pushed up her glasses finally ready to work.

“This all started...a few days ago.” Sam started.


	2. A few days ago..

Sam stared at the mirror looking at his belly disappointingly. He had promised he would hit the gym when the Max business was sorted and yet here he was a few days after the max business was done and he hadn't even made any effort.

Of course by “Max business” he meant how the last week or so had been spent on Sam slowly figuring out and accepting that he liked Max. One date gone horribly wrong that he had already suppressed in the deepest corner of his brain and a awkward confession that led to them cuddling like they usually do later and...they were suddenly a couple.

It was a bit weird if he was being honest. Maybe weird wasn't the word. He was definitely enjoying it to some level but it was surreal in a sense. Ignoring that there was still a few problems he felt haven't been ironed out. He couldn't really pin down what they were though.

It wasn't the kinda case he liked solving but it was one that needed solving and for what it was worth he was glad he had got the confession business outta the way., because if he was being honest. He REALLY liked Max. Partner in Crime fighting or Just plain partner. 

“Saaaaammmm? Are you staring at the mirror AGAIN?” Max called out from down the hall.

Sam tensed up, surprised. The last time Max caught him staring at himself sadly in the mirror mulling over his problems, he threatened to go sleep on the couch. Sam didn't believe him because Max loved cuddling almost as much as he loved violence and justice but he wasn't about to test him now.

“No little buddy! I’ll be there soon!”

Sam quickly threw on his coat and signature hat. It was another bright sunny day in New York and Sam was eager to solve a case of any kind. He could hear Max making breakfast in the kitchen. If the house burnt down then Sam only had himself to blame.

Luckily Max was in the mood for cereal so the house stayed safe for now. Max had left a bowl for Sam on the table while he was busy making his own. Looking at his bowl he couldn't make out what horrible sugary type of cereal it was and the milk was kinda sludgy from it.

Perfect.

Max came down to the table while Sam was eating. The two had a busy day ahead of them the commissioner had called them first thing in the morning. They both ate faster than usual eager to get on with the day.

“Remind me….what exactly was the case again?”

Sam answered with a mouthful of food. “Mrts the Carse abeeert the cple that prlns to mrph mpprr!” 

“Swallow big guy”. Max couldn't help but giggle at the innuendo as he said that.

Sam did as he was told before trying to say the sentence again.

“Its a case about a couple that's been robbing jewelry stores left and right! The commissioner said he wants us to see if we can find them.”

Max finished his cereal first and did a small victory dance as he threw the bowl into the sink.  
Sam could hear a crashing sound and winced as he decided to keep looking at his food instead.

“Ah.. a classic case of detective work. Where you actually do all the work and i wait for the perfect moment to bring out the gun and start shooting! Too easy if ya ask me!”

“I'm pretty sure that's every case Max…”

“Yeah yeah whatever let's just get going!”

Not wanting to keep his friend waiting. Sam left his bowl at the table and rushed to the door with Max right behind him. The two nearly trip over each other racing down the stairs. Bursting outside, the two jumped into the desoto with Max making a stink of how he never got to drive and Sam reminding him of how many traffic violations Max committed the one time Sam let him drive. In Sam’s defense he was a bit drunk so if he did drive that time he would have done the exact same amount of damage. 

They raced off to the place the commissioner tipped them off to go to. A jewelry place that was recently robbed from the crime couple. It was pretty small but still pretty expensive compared to what Sam and Max made.

“Think we can get some free stuff as a reward for helping them here?”

Sam chuckled and gave Max a noogie. “ You crack me up little buddy.”

As Sam walked into the store he motioned at a worker to get their attention. When he came over he immediately began asking a bunch of questions.

Max was able to pay attention to the first two but after that he started to get antsy. He tugged at Sam’s pants and hopped a little bit almost acting like a toddler. Sam only shooed him away with one hand while not breaking eye contact with the employee.

Max gave out a small huff of defeat and walked off to observe the Jewelry store.

He was sure if Sam layed down on his stomach he would be half as wide as the whole store.  
He counted two clerks total in the place. It was pretty dead too so there was no one one around to bother or crack jokes at. He walked up to the one of the displays.

Surrounded by pictures of people sucking face was a bunch of boring diamonds and rings he would never be able to afford. He was gonna have to get creative if he ever proposed to Sam. Although they basically are a married couple at this point.

“Just without any sort of physical affection.. Max grumbled.

It took him a sec to realize what he said before he put his mouth to his hand in confusion. He didn't realize he wanted to do something with the big guy that bad. It wasn't like he felt bad about it, he was just too busy making sure Sam knew he actually liked him to think about what he actually wanted. After Sam confessed to Max that night, the next day was spent with Max assuring him he did actually like him.

Granted it had only been a few days since they officially started “dating” but he had expected a kiss at the very least by now. All they did was cuddle...well by “they” he meant Sam let Max sleep on his arm or belly which they had already done once every so often. He wanted to really let loose with him.

He shook his head. He was being impatient right? It's literally been about two days. All he had to do was wait.

And yet the last thing he wanted to do was wait even more.

Before Max could think more about how he felt about Sam, he was interrupted by a huge paw waved across his face to get his attention. He jumped back a bit, not used to getting jumped himself instead of being the one getting the jump on someone.

“Max? Little buddy? You alright?” Sam asked concerned.

Max had just been staring at random jewelry completely still deep in thought. This only occurred if Max was possessed or wasn't feeling well.

“Oh! Yeah just uh..thinking about the case.”

Sam chuckled and began petting Max’s head. “Im impressed Max! Maybe you can tell me what you thought of on our way to the next destination. I got some really good info!”

Max didn't really answer and just closed his eyes while he leaned into Sam’s paw taking in the physical contact. Sam pulled away his paw before Max could really get into it then leaned down to whisper in his ear.

“Sorry buddy but erm you know..…”

Sam motioned towards the two clerks talking to each other at the counter. Sweat covered his forehead as if the two clerks had caught them both naked. Well. As naked as Max could be.

Max gave Sam a confused look as if he just said something completely stupid.

“What? Are you scared people will stare or somethin? People have stared at us for worse!”

Max tried to put his head back on Sam’s paw but Sam raised his arm higher than Max could reach. Max hopped up and down a bit before letting out a defeated sigh.

“I know Max it's just...different I suppose. Why don't we focus on the case yeah?” Sam pleaded.

Max smiled at the idea. Solving cases was always a good time.

“Alright! But im driving this time!” Max said as he rushed to the DeSoto”

Sam’s eyes widened with panic as he rushed towards Max.

“Not this time little buddy!”

 

____________

 

The rest of that day was uneventful, much to the disappointment of the crime fighting duo.  
What started off with promising lead’s ended with a note telling the duo that they had come by too late. No big confrontation. No life risking traps. Just a note. Max was pretty angry on the drive home which Sam hated to see. When Max got angry like this he became uncharacteristically silent and a bit moody. No quips or jabs about anything.

When they got home Max was still quiet which worried Sam even more. Max put the tv on and laid on the ground still while Sam rushed to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, he pulled out leftover pIzza, a huge tub of vanilla icecream and a bag of nachos. He put the pizza on a plate first then carefully placed Ice Cream onto the pizza. Finally he began sprinkling the Ice Cream with crushed bits of nachos before putting it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Viola! Max’s favorite food: Warm pizza with Ice Cream that has nacho toppings sprinkled on.

Sam looked at his creation for about 2 seconds before gagging. All he needed was a corn dog to get by. He walked over to Max while doing his best not to smell the food or think about how much fatter he is then max despite eating a bit better than him.

“Hey Max! Look! I made your favorite food! Now stop being so moody would ya?”

He placed the plate in front of Max and waited. Max didn't even move.

“Surprise! I can't stand seeing you all doom and gloom so eat up!”

“...............”

“Max? C'mon little buddy..” 

Nothing. Max didn't even move the food out of the way so he could see the tv. His eyes stared off to the abyss as Sam looked on in terror. He began to worry that Max was blaming himself for not catching the couple. Max was a expert at dealing with Sam’s ramblings about his weight or doubts at this point but when Max gets into a certain funk Sam never knows what to do since its so rare.

Sam sat on the recliner for a bit waiting for Max to lose self-control and start chowing down but he never did. He thought of things Max liked the most that would shake him outta this state.  
Violence was a no go, he didn't feel like losing a finger just to make his partner happy, and solving cases was a bust today too. There was one other option though...and Sam had to rehearse the line in his head before he could say it.

“Ok Max, Let's make a deal. Are you listening?” Sam asked.

Max didn't turn around or move at all really but his ear twitched a little so Sam took that as a yes.

“I don't like seeing you so upset over a case that you wont eat or tease anyone at all, Just like you don't like seeing me worry so much about my weight or if people stare at us in public.”

“So….if you eat your food and forget about the case today….”

Sam couldn't believe he was saying this. His voice became a harsh whisper Max could barely hear.

“Then we can….Maybe try kissing and other stuff tonight?”

It was like throwing a lit match at a oil factory. Before Sam could even blink Max was on Sam jumping up and down shouting “Really?!” at the top of his lungs.

“Sweet jumping hares at a rodeo stationed in Houston Texas! Relax Max!”

Max stopped jumping but started starting at Sam still.

“So you're being serious? Really? We can….”

Max had started reaching for Sams gut but Sam slapped it away.

“I said we can MAYBE try kissing and go from there little buddy” 

Max didn't respond and was just starting at Sams belly.

“Max? Little buddy? Er….”

He snapped his fingers in front of Max’s face a few times before Max came to again.

“R-right! Food! Gotcha!

Max hopped off Sam and happily began devouring the abomination Sam had made in the kitchen. Sam considered making food for himself but one look at his gut made him just sit in the chair peacefully.

“Its gonna be a long night…” Sam muttered.


	3. Rabid worries

Max sat on the bed bored while listening to Sam take a shower. Sam insisted on taking a shower to be as clean as possible before they did something. Max had offered to clean him with his own tongue but by then he was already in the shower. He might have ignored him.

He let himself fall onto his back, one of Sam’s pillows just about covering his entire body. He turned around and clung to it taking in its scent while looking around the room. Their room was basically just a version of their office that they could sleep in. Dozens of photos of the two on various cases were plastered on the walls.

He got up and began looking at them. One picture showed them stopping a crook from stealing a purse. It was way back when they first started. A simple petty crime but a pretty big moment in history for the two. Another showed the two on a fishing trip. They decided to just shoot the fish and then swim under and grab it, Max was really good at it.

Finally he looked at his favorite picture. It was a case where there was a villain within a lair that was laced with traps. The catch was most of it was alcohol themed. Sam did a lot of drinking that day and by the end of it all was pretty drunk, he insisted on taking a picture after the case was over.

Sam’s arm is wrapped around Max tight, His head is nuzzled against Max’s own head too.  
Sam looked so happy and looked as if he couldn't care about anything in the world. It was also the night he let him drive the Desoto for the first time. That night, Sam whisked Max into bed and used him like a teddy bear while talking about how much he loved him and giving him kisses on the head. By morning Sam hadn't remembered a thing. He was too busy dealing with a hangover to question anything.

Max remembered how he had wanted to tell Sam how he felt about him but he knew by morning he would have forgotten about it all and he didn't really like the idea of talking about it with Sam when he was sober. 

Looking back, Max had liked Sam in the exact same way for quite some time. Unlike Sam, Max accepted his feelings instantly but he never could gain the courage to tell Sam out of fear of ruining the perfect life they already had. He was willing to accept having a best friend that occasionally cuddled if it meant preserving the relationship of crime fighting and goofing off that they had.

He was still surprised Sam actually feels the same way. He felt a little bad not giving a heartfelt confession back to the big guy but he was too shocked to give him anything like that. It all felt too surreal at the time. All he could do was pretend to act casual about it.

As the bathroom door opens, Max snaps his neck back towards Sam. He didn't have his coat which was as informal as he got. He looked shy and eager to get this over with.   
Max couldn't lie to himself. That worried him a little.  
Nevertheless, Max hopped onto the bed with a smile on his face. Fake as it was, Sam brought it and as soon as Sam sat down, Max climbed onto his lap and put both feet between his Sam’s arm’s effectively making it so Sam couldn't really move anywhere without swatting Max off first.

Max stared at Sam waiting for him to say something. Sam looked at the floor. Then the ceiling. Then the windows. He looked at just about anything before he could look at Max. Max began to clear his throat when he realized Sam wasn't gonna say anything.

“So! Here we are!” Max claimed.

“Yeah..” Sam muttered.

The two of them continued to sit there in silence. Max was happy Sam was looking at him at the very least but his face said it all. Anxiety. Self-Doubt. The whole deal Max gave him a playful punch on the arm before questioning him.

“Cmon! Why the self doubt? Isn't this what ya want? Cmon! Kiss me!

Max put his hand down on Sam’s belly. As he did however, Sam began to get super fidgety, as if he wanted to do anything else. He tapped his finger on the bed a bit before just reaching for Max’s hand and gently lifting it off of Sam while shaking his head. Max tried his best to hide a pout but to no avail.

Max thought to himself for a second on what to do. Maybe he was just being too forward? They haven't even kissed yet for god’s sake and here he was trying to skip the first two bases and go to the third. 

He smiled and began to lean towards Sam’s face. His breath reeked of death but Max found it charming in a “I cant breathe and probably won't be able to kiss you for more than 2 seconds” kinda way.

Sam face remained motionless as Max leaned in closer to him. Slowly Max closes his eyes and..

He feels a paw gently push him back. Max’s eyes shoot open, that had done it. He had virtually no patience with most people and Sam was only a minor exception. 

“For god's sake Sam what's up with you!?!”

And there it was. Max had finally begun to lose what little patience he only ever had with Sam to begin with. Sam flinched a little, surprised Max was getting angry at him now for not doing anything. He almost chuckled at how silly he sounded in the past thinking he would get mad for wanting to try dating. Almost.   
The room was silent for a bit. Max’s posture went from angry to just plain tired after a minute. When Sam thought Max was actually calm enough to listen a little bit he talked.

“Im..sorry Max. Not this time.”

Max stayed silent for a bit. All sam could hear was his small gentle breaths until..

“Then when?” Max questioned.

Sam stayed silent. He wanted to answer with something like “Now little buddy!” And completely surprised Max but he knew that wasn't happening. He wondered how Max did it. Being so confident in all of this. Of course he liked Max but the idea of everyone eventually knowing about the two of them. Even in private is screwed with him.

“Max….How do yo-.”

“Forget it Sam. I'm going to Bed.” 

Without letting Sam finish his sentence, Max hopped off of Sam and began to sleep on the other side of the bed. Sam tried to shake him awake but there was no response. Sam shook him pretty hard so he was sure he was just being ignored which only made it sting more.

“.....Max? Please Little buddy…” 

Nothing. Max stayed perfectly still. If Sam didn't know any better he would think Max was dead. He checked his pulse JUST to be sure he didn't die of frustration.  
…..

Sam felt a pulse. He sighed in relief

Sam scratched the back of his head while awkwardly looking around the room. He knew he was being difficult but he just didn't feel ready for that stuff yet. He had only just now accepted that he liked Max in the first place.

Wanting to think of better times his eyes wander’d to all the pictures in the room. After a bit of reminiscing he noticed a pattern. Almost all of the pictures had Sam’s paw under Max’s head.  
The only exception was one where Sam’s arms were broken and in casts. Max swore up and down on that day of the case that it wasn't his fault. Sam is still trying to fool himself into believing him.

He looked at Max again who was still as ever. He didn't wanna leave the night on this bad a note. Maybe he wasn't ready to kiss, and he DEFINITELY wasn't ready for anything beyond that for a bit but…

He reached towards Max and placed his Paw on his head. It was a oddly perfectly snug fit which was partially why Sam did it so much. He left it there for a bit but began playing with Max’s ears after a bit. Sam looked around making absolutely sure they were alone before actually letting himself enjoy it a bit.

Max still hadn't said anything but his posture had softened a bit. He could actually tell he was breathing and he had started to lean into Sam’s paw and rub his head on it while letting out the slightest giggles. Sam knew better though, Max was still gonna be mad about earlier.

But for now. It had seemed like all the tension had left the room.

The rest of the night was like that. Sam eventually fell asleep petting Max. When morning came and Sam woke up he was surprised to see Max was gone. He could hear the shower along with Max’s singing.

He sat up and looked at the calendar. Sunday, so today was a day off of sorts. Usually they just looked for cases on their own but after yesterday Sam had a hunch that the two of them would take a break for the day.

He decided to get out of bed and look himself in the mirror. A bad habit sure but most of the time Max stopped him before he thought about it for too long. Even he wasn't sure why he did it sometimes. It was almost like he expected himself to suddenly gain the confidence Max had.

10 minutes of mulling over his weight later and he was in the kitchen making breakfast.  
He was feeling lazy so he just made them both Pancakes. Another loss to the eating healthier plan. He made sure to give Max a few more then him, anything to make him feel slightly better.

After setting the plates he sat at the table still in his pj’s waiting for his little buddy.

Silence filled the room.

Sam could still hear the shower running. He was convinced Max was just racking up the water bill to be a jerk but eventually he finally heard it turn off.

His head slumped onto the table as he looked at the hallway waiting for Max. The wait was agonizing. It wasn't like Max needed to get dressed or anything. Honestly he considered it a blessing that he liked to shower.

Finally he could hear footsteps coming down the hall. Max finally arrived yawning as he sat down at the table. He looked at Sam and Max looked at him. They stayed like that for a bit, not exactly mad at eachother but not on good terms either. Sam hated it. They haven't been like this since high school where awkward fights reigned supreme. 10+ years of a perfect partnership ruined by the fact he wanted to tell Max how he really felt. Why did he think this was a good idea? What did he think he could gain out of telling him this. He doesn't even feel comfortable with kissing, let alone what max REALLY wants to do. He could of just kept this relationship normal as friends but he had to-

“Sam?! SAM! At least answer me cmon!

Sam jumped back a bit startled. Sometimes that would happen. Sam going of into really bad tangents like that and Max having to snap him back into reality. He was glad Max didn't hate him enough to leave him like that. One time Max wasn't there when he did it and he didn't leave the same spot for nearly 4 hours.

“Sorry Little buddy! Had another one of uh...ya know”

Max nodded before turning down to his food.

And just like that it was back to nothing but the sounds of birds outside and food being eaten.

Sam wasn't about to let it stay like this though.

“Max! I….im…..im sorr-”

“No don't even say that you softie im sorr-”

“I shouldn't be so scared about something that i wan-”

“I Shouldn't be so forward in the first pla-”

“IM TRYING to make a point here Ma-”

“SO AM I! LET ME APOLOGIZE!”

Before Sam could blink Max had thrown a pancake square at his face. It sticked on him for a bit then flopped onto his own plate. Neither of them said anything for a bit. Then chuckles from Max started bubbling up which in turn started to make Sam laugh. 1 minute later the two of them were howling on the floor together.

Sam was the first to sit up. He patted Max on the head a bit and then got up.

“Alright Max its our day off! What's something we can do together?”

Max sat up still giggling and thought about it for a second.

“Target practice on birds! Harassing rich dudes! 

“Hmmm. Max how about something more...legal?”

Max walked up to a nearby window and looked outside for a bit.

 

“How bout…..a date?” Max brought up.

Sam frowned, obviously uncomfortable with the idea. He wanted to make up for last night but at the same time he wasn't sure if he was ready. Strangely enough the image of Max cutting him off before he could ask his question last night kept playing in his head.

Max rolled his eyes as he saw his friend start overthinking things.

“It doesn't have to be a super romantic candle lit dinner! We could just….uh…..”

Max nearly gagged trying to say what he was about to suggest.

“....just...go for a walk? Live in the moment and enjoy each other?”

Sam’s imaginary tail began wagging at the suggestion of a walk.

“Wow Max! That sounds great actually!” 

It was like a switch has been flipped in Sam’s brain. Suddenly he was bouncing with energy running back into their room so he could put on his suit. Max sighed and looked back out the window. He would have much preferred going out shooting birds. On certain days Sam would have too. But on a day like today he knew he would want to just relax. Max wanted to just get along with his best friend. Anything to shake off last night…

And yet he had a feeling things wouldn't go as planned.

Max walked up towards the door as Sam bumbled over back to him.

“So! Where are we walking?” Sam asked.


	4. A walk

Max was doing everything in his power to focus on walking. It was such a simple task one would think. Put one big rabbit foot in front of the other. Talk to your best friend. Enjoy life. Easy. 

But Max just couldn't be satisfied unless he was doing SOMETHING. His eyes glanced at a slightly suspicious looking guy. He wanted to jump him and start interrogating him right away.  
There was also the perfectly plump set of birds sitting on the roof. Max would bet Sam money he didn't have that he could shoot all of them with one bullet.

They had been at this for about 2 hours, Max desperately using all his energy to control himself and focus on the conversation. It had gotten a bit cloudy outside but it was still warm regardless,  
Max could see multitudes of people walking about enjoying the day.

And he knew Sam could see them too.

Max decided to tune back into Sam and see what he was talking about.

“-....Which is why bluegrass is indisputably the best music genre to ever grace our wonderful planet little buddy.”

He had heard this before. Trying to get Sam to listen to any other type of music was impossible. Its one of the few things Max had given up on. The last time they disagreed on this Sam didn't speak to Max for a week.

“Your obsession with bluegrass is as sickening as it is endearing Sam.”

“Why thank you! I think..”

The two continued there walk when suddenly Max’s stomach growled. 

And like that ,he found his limit. He could control himself just barely but with a empty stomach it was hopeless now. Max quickly looked around at any place they could eat at. A greasy burger joint had caught his eye.

“Sam! Let's get something to eat! Cmon!” Max started begging while tugging at the big dog

“Hmm...We have been walking for quite a bit and we DID just ditch breakfast…”

Sam smiled. “Alright! Let's go then! Dont complain to me if they cant cater to your needs though Max!”

___________________________________________________

Sam knew exactly what he was getting into looking around the burger joint. Tons of families and friend groups clustered together in booths. Cheesy pop tunes playing on the speakers 24/7 and waiters that probably regret everything they’ve done leading up to them working here.

“Hi! Welcome to bonzie’s burgers!” A cheerful waitress greeted. “Is it just you two?”

Sam nodded. “Right this way then!” The waitress led them both to a small booth in the corner of the restaurant. It was structured in such a way that everyone could see the two of them. Sam made sure no one was staring at them before actually settling down.

Max smirked, noticing Sam acting a little worried.

“Aw don't worry Sam! Anyone that so much as looks at my Boyfriend and his food are getting a head full of lead!”

Sam winced. How many people had heard that? Would anyone care? What part of the city were they in again? How loud was the music compared to Max?

Sam shook his head and started looking at the menu to find any kind of distraction. Nothing on it was healthy looking. This wasn't gonna do him any favors later on when he’s looking at the mirror again.

Max let out a long “Hmmmm” while looking at his menu. “So many things to choose from Sam! Really makes you wonder why they don't just have a option to have it all served combined.

“Actually little buddy im pretty sure you suggested that to a place like this, then someone other than you ordered it and suffered a heart attack..”

Max chuckled and blushed. “Oh hee hee! How could i forget! Good times…”

Max had begun staring into nothing reminiscing about lawsuits and unfortunate food related deaths leaving Sam to just stare at him a bit. For a minute or so he felt pretty relaxed. As if he could actually be okay with the idea of being a couple outside with him or maybe even goin to bed and….

“Well look at this cute couple!” A particularly obnoxious waiter commented. “What can i get you lovebirds?” 

Sam’s dirty thoughts (and general train of thought) was shattered hearing the waitress.

Sam quickly glanced around. A few people had looked over but the rest of the place hadn't really noticed yet. There was still time to fix this.

“Oh haha!” Sam started. “Actually Ma'am we-”

Before he could finish the sentence he caught a look of Max. He looked like he already knew what he was about to say and he looked absolutely miserable about it.

The waitress giggled. “What's wrong? Cat got ya tongue? Hey! Someone come help order something for this guy!”

At this point a good chunk of the restaurant was looking at them. Sam could hear some people whisper disapprovingly while other kids giggled at him and Max as if they knew the whole story.

Sam could feel the anxiety rise up in him. He wanted to end this as quickly as possible. Anything to just get everyone to stop LOOKING at them. He took one last look at Max and then back at the waitress.

“Well actually Miss, we aren't dating at all.”

“Oh!” The waitress looked down, embarrassed. “ Well do you guys know what you want?”

Sam just wanted her out of their hair for a sec. “Er.. no we need a bit more time.”

“Alrighty! I’ll come back later!” She walked off to go help other people.

Sam looked around and smiled. Everyone had gone back to not paying attention to them at all. No whispers. No disapproving looks.

..Just a near heartbroken Max.

Before Sam could even look back Max was already gone.

“Huh? Little buddy? Where’d ya go?” 

Sam got up, concerned about where max was. He knew what he said was pretty bad but he felt justified at the very least. It wasn't cause he didnt wanna date Max. This was the right thing to do! At least in his head it was.

Sam walked out of the joint and shouted for Max. Nothing. He was thankful they didn't take the De-soto for a ride, Max could have just stole the thing and went on a rampage. He could only hope by the time Max reached the office that he would have simmered down a bit.

“I’ve got to find Max as soon as possible!” Sam proclaimed!

Suddenly he felt a low growl in this stomach. It ached in protest.

“Well….Maybe i can let max simmer down while i eat.”

Sam sheepishly went back into the burger place.


	5. A bit tipsy

Max layed on the bed staring at the many pictures him and Sam had once again. He could hear the tv he had left on chatter on and on in the background. The clock had just about hit 10.   
He sat up and thought for a second. He had left that burger place around...1? 2 if he was being generous. 

“Where the hell is that oaf?!” Max questioned to himself.

He hopped out of bed and walked toward the living room. The entire place was surprisingly clean considering how angry Max was. Aside from a few dirty dishes left around the place it was perfect. Max gave the tv a nice hard whack changing it to static. It calmed him down somewhat.

He didn't feel like sleeping, that would make it so they just repeat what they did earlier in the morning and just make up without really talking. He also didn't wanna just call someone to see if Sam was ok. At this rate the less people who knew about this the better.

He stopped himself and chuckled. Talking out things was usually SAM’S thing. He tried to remember the last thing he genuinely wanted to talk to Sam about but nothing came up. 

“Things are really screwed up if im i'm the one wanting to talk..” Max mumbled.

He sat down at a table and put his hand on his chin. He would wait as long it takes.

Thankfully it wasn't long. Max’s ears perked up as he heard huge footsteps. The door handle jiggled once, then twice, finally the door opened on the third time and the familiar dog stumbled in.

Key word being stumbled, Sam could just barely walk into the room without falling over. He grabbed onto a kitchen counter before turning over to Max.

“M….Max! You’re here! Aw buddy.” Sam slurred. Max winced a bit

Max took a closer look at Sam. His suit has been slightly undone. His breath reeked more then usual. There was even a bottle cap in his pocket sticking out barely.

“Sam? Have you been drinking? Since when do you drink at all?”

Sam blushed a bit. “I was gonna go looking for you but i WAS pretty hungry. And they just so happen to serve alcohol there...and you weren't there so….”

“So what you just got drunk for like 9 hours?”

“No no! I..i looked for you for a while too. I looked everywhere across the city because i was afraid you would have gone and done something little buddy! I'm just happy to see you safe here.”

Max glared at him for a bit. He was gonna take advantage of being the responsible one in this situation for as long as he could.

“....I may have got a few drinks along the way….” Sam admitted. 

The alcohol was already wearing off of Sam. Being a huge 6 foot chubby dog had its perks.

“Sam look.. Im…” Max struggled to talk. It was almost as bad as saying sorry to anyone that wasn't Sam.

“..I'm glad you were so concerned and everything.” Max started.

Sam smiled looking hopeful.

“But why cant you ever be on board with this whole dating thing?!”

Sam’s face dropped back down.

“You’re the one that wanted to date me in the first place! You...you confessed to me and everything and….”

Max stopped himself to gain his composure back. He was a lot of things but he was NOT a cryer. There was only one time he’s every cried and its suppressed so far back in his brain that he won't ever think about it. As far as he’s concerned that was just a nightmare that didn't count.

“..And now you refuse to actually do anything man!”

Sam looked down a bit and scratched the back of his head.

“Max...i do like you. Really! But you have to understan-

“What's to understand!

“I'm...not as confident as you.”

“That doesn't explain why you won't let me-”

Sam covered Max’s mouth before he could continue. His face was bright red and he was checking to make sure the windows and doors were closed.

“Im embarrassed alright?!”

Max pried off Sam’s hand from his mouth. “WHY though?!”

Sam started to fumble his words. “Well… you know….Its because….”  
Sam sighed and looked at Max defeated and pitiful. Max turned around and skittered over to a nearby window so he could look at anything BUT Sam.

He sighed and began to slouch a little, then he let out a small whisper. Something Sam could barely hear.

“I...i had feelings for you too ya big lug..”

Sam face sprang up in surprise. It hadn't occurred to him that Max actually had as strong feelings for himself.

“But you cant even tell me why you won't do anything you jerk! How do i know you aren't just lying!” Max yelled.

“Little buddy i promise you im not ly-”

“LIAR!”

“Max im being seri-”

“LIAR!”

“Alright really at least let me spea-”

“LIAR LIAR LIAR!”

Now Sam was angry. He snarled a bit at Max before talking again.

“Maybe i SHOULD just live with being a liar. Not like you’ll listen to a word i have to say anyways. You never do!”

Max turned around and gasped in a almost comedic tone.

“I would listen to you if you weren't such a damn dirty liar!”

“For the last damn time Max! Im not a lia-”

Suddenly the phone began ringing and cut him off. Sam was right next to the it so there was no real contest in who got to answer it.

“Hello?......Yes?......No?.…..Actually yes!.....You can?..... Great! See ya soon!”

“Who the heck was that calling this late?” Max questioned.

“It was sybil! And i think she can help the both of us!

“Maybe she can help you stop lying so damn much.”

Sam lost any optimism in him after Max said that.

“Lets just go before i kill you first.”


	6. Where were we?

“So….thats how all of this came to be.” Sam finished.

Sybil took another sip of her coffee and sighed. She was on her 3rd one for the night and it looked like she was gonna gear up for a 4th. There was a lot to cover and knowing these two they probably would just misunderstand most of it. She pretended to look at her clipboard for a second trying to think of something to start with before she looked back at them and realized something.

...Sam and Max had both just kinda snuggled up together in the middle of the story.

She honestly wasn't sure if Sam noticed or not. He had to have. Sam was laying on his back taking up the whole couch while Max was just on his belly listening to him intently. She must have been to busy writing to actually notice it happen but...there they were. Happily together.

Compared to 40 minutes ago, they both seemed like completely different people. Max hadn't said a single word during Sam’s entire story. Sam’s death glare had been reduced to a tired mute look. Both of them were just kinda looking at each other. It gave her a idea.

She brought out a bunch of papers from her desk, along with some headphones.

“Well! Thats certainly alot to take in. Im gonna have to...fill these papers out first though to narrow down some things so...you two just hang out while i do this!”

She put on the headphones and brought out her phone to play some soft music. As she scribbled gibberish down on the paper she kept a ear out for Either of the two to say anything.

She waited.

And waited.

And waited a little bit more.

Finally 5 minutes had past and Sybil heard what she was waiting for.

“....Hey Sam?” Max looked as Sam reluctantly.

“Yeah little buddy?” Sam still had a somber look on him.

“....what's wrong with us?”

Jackpot. At this rate they would solve this by themselves. Sybil figured it was much more healthy if they did it themselves anyways. She chuckled at her poor choice of words before listening again.

Sam adjusted his hat a bit. “Nothing Max, ...Well. Nothing is wrong with you at least.”

“Cmon dont say that about ya self big guy.” He hugged Sam.

“Is it me being too forward? With the kissing and stuff?” Max questioned

Sam mumbled out a few words that Max couldn't quite make out.

“Cmon Sam tell me!”

“You being forward was never a problem. I...like you like that.”

“Was it because of me calling you my boyfriend and stuff?”

Sam shook his head. “Im scared of that yeah but that's not it either.”

He sat up a little bit and got a better look at Max. He wasn't crying but if Sam said the right words he could probably get him too. Max was a surprisingly gentle crier the very few times Sam had seen it happen.

“I think….I think im mad at myself the most little buddy.”

Max poked at his gut. “Is it cause of this thing? Huh?” he giggled a little.

Sam just groaned a little before looking away.

“Aw c'mon! I like you this way! I crack jokes alot but i do mean it Sam!”

“I know i know little buddy its just…” Sam began choking on his words.

“What? Seeing you shirtless and stuff? Sam i’ve walked in on you naked plenty of times..”

Sam wanted to think about how max really felt when he walked in on him those few times and if they were on purpose or not but he decided to save it for later.

“This is different though! You’re touching me and such ya know! Its a lot more uhh...sentimental. I know you hate that stuff but you get it right?”

Max huffed and crawled over to the opposite side of the couch. He laid down on his back while his feet rested on Sam’s belly now.

“Course i get it ya big lug. That's why i tease you so much at all. Its like..how i try to help you get out of ya shell. If i heard anyone outside of me teasing you about their weight they wouldn't be alive when i'm done with em!”

He gave him a big grin that showed all his sharp spiky white teeth. “I can be sentimental and….romantic and all that too ya know. You just gotta ask!”

Sam blushed a bit and smiled. “Im glad you like me as much as i like you little buddy.”

Max rolled his eyes. “Of course i do Sam! I’ve had the same feelings for as long as i can remember!

Sam blinked in surprise at Max and gawked at him for a bit. So he HAD heard him right earlier.

“You….have?”

Max gave him a look. “Of course i have! I wouldn't have liked the idea of getting together if i hadn't!”

Sam lifted Max’s feet and put them gently on the ground. Max adjusted so that he was sitting up. While that was happening Sam came over to Max’s side of the couch and put his head on his lap.

“How….long did you feel like that?” Sam questioned.

Max put a finger to his non existent chin and thought for a sec. His other hand wandered over Sam’s head automatically.

“Remember that time we both saw those two dudes kissing in the ally?”

“Max that was the end of middle school! Are you serious?”

Max just awkwardly shrugged. “I kinda just thought about us doin that and figured it out from there.”

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“Yeah that sounds like a real good idea you big oaf. You barely recognized you have feelings for me now. You would have stopped talking to me if i said anything back then.”

Both of them are quiet for a moment before Sam speaks up again.

“What…..What if i had never liked you that way?”

 

“Well. I would just deal with it i guess.”

“I feel like you would break eventually little buddy.”

“Maybe you’re right Sam! But i would fake it for as long as possible. Seriously. You think i wanna ruin this life where i get to spend my days solving crimes with my best friend?”

Sam smiled. “I Guess not.”

“I just...didn't think you cared about me so much. I always thought it would be somewhat one sided.” Sam confessed.

“Oh please. We both care about each other way too much. We’re like conjoined Siamese twins.”

 

They both sighed and stopped talking so they could get their thoughts about everything together and actually breathe. The two of them weren't bursting with joy or anything. Both of their faces had a mute look to it. 

“Im really tired of fighting, Max.” Sam started after a few minutes of silence.

“Yeah me too. That's what our cases are for. Not us.”

“So you’ll try to be more careful with the boyfriend term for a while until im more comfortable?”

Max groaned. “Only if you stop moping around thinking i secretly hate you and your gut”

“ONLY if you dont laugh at it.”

“You dummy. Im gonna laugh at it no matter what you do.”

Max tightened his grip around Sam’s head a little bit.

“But we’ll laugh at it together ok?”

Sam seemed satisfied with that answer. The two of them had finally reached common ground. They both sat there for a sec taking in the fact that they didnt wanna rip each other throats out for a second before Sam piped up again.

“Being in love with someone is pretty exhausting huh little buddy?” Sam chuckled.

“If it were anyone else i would have given up a long time ago” Max began.

“But your not anyone, You’re my best friend and partner in justice. I just want things to go back to normal Sam. Well...Maybe a few added things here and there but you get the picture”

Sam let out a small sigh. “....Max. I think we’ve bothered sybil enough. Let's get back home and go to bed huh?”

Max smiled. “Sure! As soon as you lift your head so the blood can come back to my legs!”

“Oop! Sorry little pal! It's just so easy to forget how small you are sometimes…”

Max wasn't kidding, He couldn't really move his legs reliably enough to walk. Sam got up and Max simply grabbed onto Sam’s shoulder.

“Sybil, i don't know how you do it but you managed to fix even people like us! We really owe you one!” Said Sam

Sybil blinked in surprised. Finally she could go home and sleep.

“Yup! No problem! Anything for you two! Now go.”

With no hesitation. She got up and shoved the two out of the door.

The night was just as silent as it was before when they first arrived. The only difference was that a duo was newly reformed, now stronger than ever.

“Huh. She seemed a bit tense there huh?” Max questioned.

“Oh im sure that happened when you’re married to a giant stone president. Now c'mon we got our own relationship to focus on”


	7. Kiss

The bed softly creak’d as Sam sat down on the bed. Max was already laying down and was just staring at Sam, Mostly his gut. It was 1 am at this point and the two of them were having trouble even keeping their eyes open. The only reason they still could at all was because they still had a few things to take care of.

“So….” Max began.

“So……” Sam mimicked.

They both stared at each other a bit more, not angry, not sad, not even awkward, Just taking in details and enjoying each other. Sam reached over and patted Max’s head softly. He smiled and leaned into his paw before eventually just falling onto his belly.

 

Max looked up at Sam for a second as if silently asking “Is it okay to keep going?”. Sam smiled and scooped him up closer to his face. He stared at him for a bit and he couldnt lie, he could still feel the big well of anxiety building up inside him just thinking about what he was about to do. Nevertheless he pressed on.

Sam closed his eyes and gave Max a light kiss. It was short and Sam didn't really have any idea what he was doing but neither did Max so he was ok with it.

As soon as they break away Max gets a huge grin on his face.

“HAHA! YES! FINALLY! PROGRESS BABY!” Max screamed jumping up and down on the bed.

“Keep it down bonehead cmon!” Sam whispered trying to hush him, knowing it was pointless.

“No! Im gonna scream as loud as i want for that! I’ll also scream when you turn me around and fu-”

Sam covered Max’s mouth before he could continue and gave him a look.

Max pried Sam’s paw off. “Oh don't be like that im kidding.”

Sam rolled his eyes while Max plopped himself onto Sam’s lap.  
Sam’s mood seemed a bit sour’d by Max’s earlier statement. He was suddenly interested in the window a lot more than Max. Max gave a few light punches to Sam’s stomach.

“Cmon dont be like that again so soon! You made progress you big nerd! Be happy!”

Sam continued to look at the window but Max could see him smile just a teeny bit. He was just teasing him at this point.

Max got up and hopped of the bed pretending to be mad. He took exaggerated stomps and huge breaths.

“OH WOE IS ME, MY BEST FRIEND DOESN'T LOVE ME. TIME TO GO DROWN MYSELF IN WOMEN I SUPPOSE. GOODBYE SAMWELL!” Max yelled.

That did it. Sam burst out laughing before charging over to Max. “Oh no you dont!” He said while picking him up. Max had begun playfully punching Sam and not so playfully gnawing on his arm.

“Ow! Max quit it!”

“Aw you know i can't help myself when im this happy!”

“When have you ever resorted to trying to eat me when you get super happy?!”

“Usually in my dreams.”

“Right…”

Max stopped Gnawing on Sam as He threw them both back onto bed. Max scurried right back into position under Sam’s neck. Sam put on arm around Max and one behind his head to get as much comfort as he possibly could.

The two let out a somewhat satisfied sigh. Things seemed to finally be getting back to normal. Or as normal as things got for Sam and Max. Sam scratched Max’s head for a bit as they stayed like that. After a while Max began to speak.

“So i guess going to bed will be different soon huh?”

Sam bonked Max on the head; “Way to ruin a moment little buddy”

“Well it's true! I can see so many things playing out different now that everything's sorted out!”

“You...can?” Sam questioned.

“Yeah! Since me and you are about as close as it gets now, you’ll let me answer the phone right?”

“You crack me up little buddy..”

The two shared a laugh for a bit before eventually returning back to silence. When they both finally got sick of staring at each other they just started looking at all of the pictures of them decorated on the wall.

“So how many of these pictures are gonna be replaced with marriage pictures?” Sam cracked.

Max began choking on his own words for a sec. “M-Marriage? Slow down Sam! We wouldn't even be able to do anything fun for our honeymoon with how you are now!”

“Does going on outrageous cases and stopping crime not sound like a good honeymoon?”

“You know what i mean wise guy” Max mumbled.

“Hmm…. i don't think i do..” Sam said, sounding aloft. He playfully tickled Max for a bit while he shouted to stop.

“Alright, Alright! Its time to sleep. Much as i enjoy all this im itching to just get back to normal case solving.” Max said.

“You took the words right out of my mouth little buddy.”

Sam thought about reaching for the covers but decided his body weight and Max would be more than enough to keep him warm. With a big sigh he slowly closed his eyes. He swore he could feel max purr like some kind of cat. 

“Wonder how this will pan out a few years down the line…”Max mumbled before falling asleep.

“We can only wonder little buddy. We can only wonder” Sam said, nodding off.


	8. Epilogue

A few years later........

 

 

 

“Well here we are a few years later after Me and Max had sorted out our problems and become a actual couple!” Sam said to a mirror he had been staring at for the last hour.

He looked down at his vows and read through all of it again. How did he think any of this was actually good at the time? He wondered if Max was doing any better. 

“He probably is. That little buddy is always more confident no matter what the situation..”

Today was almost the most important day of Sam’s life. The first was him meeting Max. The next most important would be today: Marrying Max. It’s been a long time coming at this point. Max wanted to get married much earlier but Sam insisted on waiting until he was good “in the hay” as he put it. It was all so surreal thinking how it was actually happening now.

Sam looked at himself in the mirror again. He was wearing a black suit and top hat. The top hat itself was small but the suit was a nice cozy big fit. He has a rose pinned on him too. If he recalled correctly, Max’s costume was basically a mangly tattered bridesmaids dress. Max saw it lying in a alley near some trash and it was love at first sight. Sam was just surprised it actually fit him so well.

They had decided to get married at the white house like Sybil and Abe did. Sam was currently in one of the many dressing rooms inside the house. He looked out the window. He could see just about every friend and enemy they had ever made out in the crowd. Even the soda popper kids were in the crowd. He was really curious how THEY got here.

He really wasn't sure why they invited so many people. It must have been Max’s idea. The two of them argued a bit over what they wanted at the wedding. If he had let Max have full control then every single person in the crowd would have a gun and probably be forced to fight for Max’s amusement.

Suddenly he could hear a bell coming from outside. That meant he had a little bit of time left before they went up there and got married for real.

He stood there for a bit just letting anxious thoughts roll over him when he feels something vibrate in his leg.  
It was his phone! They both had decided to get one in the case they ever are separated and wanna talk. Sam had no clue how it worked but it let him talk to Max and that was all that mattered to him.

He turns on the phone and sure enough its a text from Max. It's a short message that just says:

“ARE YOUR VOWS AS BAD AS MINE? I'M GONNA JUST WING IT”

He always typed in caps. Max claimed it was so you never mistook his tone of voice as anything but shouting. The text itself soothed Sam’s nerves a lot. With a smile he texted back, “You crack me up little buddy” and shut off the phone.

 

Taking a deep breath Sam opened the doors to the ceremony. He wanted to see his little buddy.


End file.
